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He is one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court – but from early childhood Andre Agassi hated the game.
Coaxed to swing a racket while still in the crib, forced to hit hundreds of balls a day while still in grade school, Agassi resented the constant pressure even as he drove himself to become a prodigy, an inner conflict that would define him. Now, in his beautiful, haunting autobiography, Agassi tells the story of a life framed by such conflicts.
Agassi makes us feel his panic as an undersized seven-year-old in Las Vegas, practicing all day under the obsessive gaze of his violent father. We see him at thirteen, banished to a Florida tennis camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon. By the time he turns pro at sixteen, his new look promises to change tennis forever, as does his lightning fast return.
And yet, despite his raw talent, he struggles early on. We feel his confusion as he loses to the world's best, his greater confusion as he starts to win. After stumbling in three Grand Slam finals, Agassi shocks the world, and himself, by capturing the 1992 Wimbledon. Overnight he becomes a fan favorite and a media target.
Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match, and every public relationship. Alongside vivid portraits of rivals, Agassi gives unstinting accounts of his brief time with Barbra Streisand and his doomed marriage to Brooke Shields. He reveals the depression that shatters his confidence, and the mistake that nearly costs him everything. Finally, he recounts his spectacular resurrection and his march to become the oldest man ever ranked number one.
In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf.
With its breakneck tempo and raw candor, Open will be read and cherished for years. A treat for ardent fans, it will also captivate readers who know nothing about tennis. Like Agassi's game, it sets a new standard for grace, style, speed and power.
From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and
one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a
beautiful, haunting autobiography.
Agassi's incredibly rigorous training begins when he is just a
child. By the age of thirteen, he is banished to a Florida tennis
camp that feels like a prison camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade
dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon. He
dyes his hair, pierces his ears, dresses like a punk rocker. By the
time he turns pro at sixteen, his new look promises to change
tennis forever, as does his lightning-fast return.
And yet, despite his raw talent, he struggles early on. We feel his
confusion as he loses to the world's best, his greater confusion as
he starts to win. After stumbling in three Grand Slam finals,
Agassi shocks the world, and himself, by capturing the 1992
Wimbledon. Overnight he becomes a fan favorite and a media target.
Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and
every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and
the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. Alongside vivid
portraits of rivals from several generations--Jimmy Connors, Pete
Sampras, Roger Federer--Agassi gives unstinting accounts of his
brief time with Barbra Streisand and his doomed marriage to Brooke
Shields. He reveals a shattering loss of confidence. And he
recounts his spectacular resurrection, a comeback climaxing with
his epic run at the 1999 French Open and his march to become the
oldest man ever ranked number one.
In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise
coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his
balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf. Inspired by her
quiet strength, he fights through crippling pain from a
deteriorating spine to remain a dangerous opponent in the
twenty-first and final year of his career. Entering his last
tournament in 2006, he's hailed for completing a stunning
metamorphosis, from nonconformist to elder statesman, from dropout
to education advocate. And still he's not done. At a U.S. Open for
the ages, he makes a courageous last stand, then delivers one of
the most stirring farewells ever heard in a sporting arena.
With its breakneck tempo and raw candor, "Open "will be read and
cherished for years. A treat for ardent fans, it will also
captivate readers who know nothing about tennis. Like Agassi's
game, it sets a new standard for grace, style, speed, and power.
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Far more than a superb memoir about the highest levels of
professional tennis, "Open" is the engrossing story of a remarkable
life.
Andre Agassi had his life mapped out for him before he left the
crib. Groomed to be a tennis champion by his moody and demanding
father, by the age of twenty-two Agassi had won the first of his
eight grand slams and achieved wealth, celebrity, and the game's
highest honors. But as he reveals in this searching autobiography,
off the court he was often unhappy and confused, unfulfilled by his
great achievements in a sport he had come to resent. Agassi writes
candidly about his early success and his uncomfortable relationship
with fame, his marriage to Brooke Shields, his growing interest in
philanthropy, and--described in haunting, point-by-point
detail--the highs and lows of his celebrated career.
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